Anyone have flash visions of an accident happening?

[FindingMeno]

I'll be minding my own business, then suddenly a very real vision of the dog screaming in pain, or me falling down a flight of stairs, or similar will happen in a flash.
Does anyone else get this?

Just to add that it might be that it works for me to let them wash over me because I don't have anxiety or OCD generally and they don't impact my day to day life. I imagine if they did you'd probably want a different way of dealing with them (possibly cbt?)

Yes I’ve always called these my “anxiety dreams” so it’s interesting to hear the label “intrusive thoughts”. Mine are around the car plunging into a river with the kids in the back, or a house fire, or an intruder entering the house. They always involve trying to protect my kids. And a fear of suddenly finding myself in a disaster situation.

As others have said, sounds like intrusive thoughts, which are common in OCD/anxiety?

I call them "flash-forwards", because they remind me of the vivid flash-backs I also used to get from PTSD. Nowadays, these slightly random "doom day dreams" seem to happen to me much more frequently than flash-backs from specific trauma (which are now thankfully rare)
They tend to be influenced by current events (had a bunch of "nuclear war" day dreams a few weeks ago for some obvious reasons... COVID also did my brain in for a while. But right now I'm just "seeing" planes falling from the sky due to an upcoming trip abroad...)
I'm more likely to get them when my brain isn't busy doing something else (especially before bed time...)

I find "mindfulness" helps. They are thoughts. They're my fears. They're not me. They're like dreams. Your subconscious taking to your self. Big bold messages. Not necessarily making much sense. Very often blowing risks out of proportion. Our "fight or flight" reptilian brains aren't very clever, bless them, but they mean well... Accept and ignore is my advice. Like a passing cloud. Or a summer storm. Just recollect yourself, move on, and make sure to treat yourself kindly in the long run.

@BlackboardMonitorVimes

I get these. I have them intensely when I am near steep drops such as cliffs or ferries. So much so that claim to have a fear of heights. I don't have a fear of heights, I have a fear of the intrusive thoughts and their force. I call it my inner lemming tendency.

This is also really common. Lots of people (me included) experience irrational fears that they will jump from a high place like the edge of a bridge.

For me, it's as though I think that my body will overrule my brain and jump of its own accord. I often have to stand back from the edge of ferries etc. because of this.

I'm a climber and strangely never experience it while climbing, although after a climb I can get flashes of jumping off.

Yes, these are intrusive thoughts, they can be a sign of controlled OCD if you are getting them a lot.
Mine used to mainly revolve around house fire until I gave birth, at which point they switched overnight to predominantly featuring people (myself, the baby) being trapped underwater (in a car, strapped into a buggy) and drowning - I have no idea why pregnancy had that effect but I'd be interested to know if anyone else's switched too!

Yes intrusive thoughts

I've had them for years. For years I thought I had something really wrong with me and couldn't bring myself to go to the doctors as I feared they'd put me in a cell and throw away the key (another intrusive thought!)

Then I read about intrusive thoughts, and it all made sense. I started to train myself that they are just thoughts, just because they pop into my head doesn't mean they will happen, or I'm a bad person. So now I just let them go, and they've become much less frequent.

I have the same fear @Octomore - in fact we are going on a cruise soon, and my biggest worry is that I'll jump off! I know I won't, and I've been doing some mindfulness in the run up, but it's a horrible feeling

Yes, l thought there was something wrong with me l have never spoken about it. I get them when l am feeling stressed. Mainly about my dh or dd never about my ds, l don’t understand that.

Thank you for the thread l feel a bit of relief from it. I often feel heartbroken by them for an hour or two.

Since I had a very small car crash last year I've had a lot of car crash related intrusive thoughts. At first I didn't link it to the crash I had and assumed I'd become psychic or something and was predicting my own death. But I was also convinced I'd win the lottery and that didn't happen, so I'm probably safe. It's disturbing but I'm hoping it will go away.

For me it's not so much that I'll throw myself off a high drop, it's that someone will suddenly grab someone's legs and flip them over (I vividly picture it).
I can't bear to walk on the upper floors of shopping precincts because of it, Manchester Arndale especially.

Yes, I do, mine play out visually in my mind, and spring up, unbidden, suddenly.

Mine are about my dc and accidents, or my dog. Pretty horrible

Yes, I get these daily. I'm taking DD to London this weekend for her first time and so far in my head I've lost her at Oxford Circus, she's fallen under a tube train and there's been a terrorism incident, I hate it.
If there's nothing happening in my life they're usually just car accidents, house fires or DC3 wandering into the road in front of a bus.

Yes, all the time.

Mainly about my children. When I am very stressed, I don’t tend to drive my car or I just imagine what would happen if I closed my eyes while driving and have to talk myself out of trying it.

It’s very normal.